Roman Catholic Theology

& Vatican II

Faith, Hope and Charity

Come Before the Law

Second Vatican Council (1962-65)

A council of reform and renewal
Key topics

Liturgy
Church

Aim was revitalization

Faith, especially a renewed understanding of the

centrality of Christ
Worship (thus, Hope), and
Renewal of the Christian lifestyle to impact the
modern world (i.e., Charity)

Ecclesiology
Emphasizes Church as the People of God
De-emphasizes institution
Mary as mother of the faithful, first disciple,

model of faithdistinctly associated with the

church (e.g., last section of Lumen Gentium)
Validates ministry of the laity, not to serve the
church, but to serve God and God's creatures
in caring for the world (Gaudium et Spes)
Calls for Christians to work for justice and
peace on the earth

Liturgy
Celebration of the entire people
Priest as president of assembly
Priest facing the people
Encouragement of ministries of the laity, e.G.,
Lectors
Leaders of the prayers of the people
Extraordinary ministers of the eucharist

Re-establishment of communion under both

species, to show that eucharist is a real

(although attenuated) meal

Christo-centric
Christ as focus of Christian liturgy &

devotions
Importance of homilies
Not sermons
Reflect on the scriptural readings, especially
the gospels, to

Edify the faithful

Further their theological understanding, and
Help them live out the Christian life

Church v. World
Positions the church in the world (Gaudium et Spes)
Balances previous other-worldly emphasis in RC

teaching

Emphasis on the way Christians should live in this

world
I.e., Witness to the three primary evangelical virtues
Faith
Hope, &
Charity

Revives the call to evangelize the world

Scripture
Recognizes need for an intellectual approach

to the biblical text

Recognizes advances of historical-critical
scholarship in the 19th-20th centuries (dei
verbum)

Ecumenism & Inter-Religious

Dialogue
Discusses the context of RCC among other

Christian traditions
Christianity among other world religions
Remembers the link of Christianity with
Judaism
Rejects the anti-Judaism of former RCC
teachings and traditions
Recognizes religious freedom as basic
human right

Church Polity
restores the principle of subsidiarity, i.e., that

tasks should be handled on the smallest scale

and at the lowest level of authority possible to
this end
the council recovers the authority and role of
bishops in their own sees
validates and highlights the role of national
synods of bishops

cf. drive to de-centralization with liturgical

change of priest facing the congregation
during Mass

Faith, Hope and Charity

Come Before the Law
The canons must be understood in light of the

three central Christian virtues which were the

governing aims of the Council
Faith
Hope, &
Charity

Discussion
Are any of these features of the Council a

surprise to you?
Which of these do you think are the most
important for church life?
What significance do these principles have for
understanding the canons?
What differences would there be in your view
of "canon law" if these things are taken into
account?